In this edition of The Full Run, we look over DC Comics’ The Spirit #8, written and drawn by Darwyn Cooke, inked by J. Bone and coloured by Dave Stewart.
The Spirit #8 sees several returns. There’s the return of Special Agent Satin, the return of the Octopus, and the return of our regular deep-dives of Darwyn Cooke’s run. Whereas much of Cooke’s run has had some element of satire to it, The Spirit #8 is a case of good old fashioned derring do. Yes, there is a psychological element to the issue that keeps this series elevated above your typical Big Two comic, but this issue comes down to a battle of good vs. evil – a hero trying to thwart a madman’s scheme of mass destruction. And it serves as a reminder that a simple premise can be great if well executed.
Captured and held hostage by the mysterious Octopus with the fate of the city hanging in the balance, Cooke sets the stakes high for this issue. All of the classic superhero elements are perfectly executed. The fight choreography, the perspective used in certain visuals, and the use of off-panel narration are among the different techniques Cooke employs that can only work in this medium. Naturally, the contributions by J. Bone and Dave Stewart should not be overlooked. Certainly Cooke’s pencils would be phenomenal on their own, but Bone’s inks continue to give this book a strong noir aesthetic, while Stewart’s colors bring the world of Central City to life.
It’s great to see Cooke commit to keeping the Octopus’s face obstructed. Given that Eisner’s “good friend” Frank Miller went in the complete opposite direction in his Spirit movie, it’s nice that someone remained true to the character. Is it hypocritical to praise how Cooke kept the Octopus consistent with Eisner’s version when he completely reinvented Satin? Perhaps. However, Cooke has retained the overall spirit (heh) of both characters. In both Eisner’s and Cooke’s work, the Octopus is a criminal master of disguise whose true identity is a mystery and Satin is a hardened globetrotting adventurer. The only major difference is that Cooke added the element of being a secret agent to Satin, which differentiates her from the many femme fatales of The Spirit.
While the physical confrontation between the hero and villain is entertaining and thrilling, it’s the post-fight interaction between the Spirit and Satin that really brings the heat. Cooke takes the reader inside the mind of the secret agent, navigating through the trauma that was alluded to back in Issue #5. The death of a child is unimaginable, but being able to make peace with that history – if even for a moment – will prove critical in the issue’s resolution. Here, in a state of amnesia, The Spirit acts as a guide to Satin as she both confronts her own personal tragedy and recaptures her sense of self. While there are moments of light comedy sprinkled throughout this issue, they do not undercut the gravity of neither this sequence nor the pressure of the bomb requiring defusal.
When it comes to delivering entertainment, The Spirit #8 is nearly perfect. With a ticking clock serving as a framing device, Darwyn Cooke gives readers nearly everything they could look for in a comic featuring a masked crimefighter, as action, drama, romance, and humor all play a role in the storytelling without overstepping. Each of these elements are well balanced throughout, resulting in a satisfying read that sticks with the reader well past the final page.
